Resilient lamp mounting



July 23, 1957 R. N. FALGE 2,800,578

RESILIENT LAMP MOUNTING Filed Nov. 3. 1953 INVENTOR United States Patenti RESILIENT LAMEP MOUNTING Robert N. Falge, Anderson, Ind., assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of DelawareApplication November 3, 1953, Serial No. 389,998

Claims. (Cl. 240.90)

This invention relates to resilient lamp mountings and more particularlyto shock absorbing mountings for use with lamps on vehicles normallysubjected to extreme shock and jarring action under conditions of normalusage.

It has always been a diflicult problem to so mount a lighting unit onvehicles such as tractors and on marine, military and constructionequipment as to isolate the bulb filaments from the extreme vibrationalstress to which the vehicle is subjected and at the same time obtain alamp which was simple, rugged and inexpensive.

Numerous attempts have been made in the past to solve this problem. Suchattempts are typified by the use of rubber or rubber-like cushioningmembers between the vehicle and the lamp casing, reliance being placedon the natural resilience of the member to absorb the vibrations.However, this expedient has been found to be generally unsatisfactorywith resultant frequent filament failures because of shear stresses setup in the mounting bolts and'cushioning members Where the mounting boltis positioned in a plane other than vertical. Further, the cushioningmember has serious limitations in that its shock absorptioncharacteristics vary with the frequency of the vibrations to which it issubjected.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a simple, ruggedand inexpensive lamp mounting adapted to minimize or substantiallyeliminate bulb filament breakage due to vibrational stress.

It is another object of my invention to provide a resilient lampmounting construction for isolating the lighting unit from vibrationalstress.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lighting unit mountedresiliently within a casing or support.

To attain these objects, I provide a plurality of spaced resilientsupporting members between the lamp casing and the lighting unit, thelighting unit having no other connection with the casing than throughthe resilient supporting members.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein a preferred form of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away of theimproved lamp mounting of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the lamp mounting taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial view of the lamp mounting taken on line 33 ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the detail of mounting the spring to thelamp casing.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the detail of mounting the spring to thelighting subassembly.

Referring noW to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1 there isshown a lamp 1 consisting of a casing 3 having an aperture in which thelighting subassembly 5 is positioned. The lighting subassembly consistsof a door 7 having a protective lattice 8 formed integral therewith overits open front face and having a lighting unit 9 positioned thereinadjacent the lattice 8. Though, as shown in Figure l, the lighting unitis of the sealed beam type, this is by no means essential to myinvention.

The lighting unit 9 is securely mounted within the door 7, a sealinggasket 11 being positioned between the lighting unit flange 12 and thefront inner portion of the door 7 to seal the front portion of the lamp.An annular plate 13 is positioned in abutting relationship with thespacer lugs 15 formed on the inner surface of flange 12 and is securelyattached at a plurality of spaced points to the door 7 thus clamping thelighting unit 9 therebetween and forming an integral subassembly 5. Thelamp 1 is the lighting unit by resiliently securing the lighting unittothe lamp casing. As is shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lightingsubassembly 5 is securely attached to the lamp casing 3 by means of aplurality of equally spaced horizontally disposed coil springs 21, thesprings being heavy enough to support the subassembly in alignment withthe open face of the casing 3 and in spaced relationship thereto. ThoughI show a plurality of coil springs 21 as the preferred embodiment, it isto be understood that other suitable resilient supporting elements suchas a plurality of spring steel members may be used to accomplish thesame purpose and are within the intended scope of end. The other end ofeach spring 21 is removably se-- cured to a bracket 25. The brackets 23and 25 are securely attached by any suitable means such as welding orbrazing to the casing 3 and lamp door 7, respectively. As is clearlyshown in Figures 3 and 5, the door end of the spring 21 is looped aroundthe shank of a screw 26 and is securely clamped between the head of thescrew and the seating portion of the bracket 25.

The opening between the door 7 of the casing 3 is weathersealed by meansof a ring-like resilient gasket 27 having bead-like end portionscooperating with outwardly turned flanges 29 and 31 formed respectivelyon the easing 3 and door 7. Gasket 27 is of such thin wall constructionthat vehicle shocks are not transmitted to the subassembly 5. It shouldbe understood that other forms of construction than that shown on thedrawing, i. e., a bellows type sealing member, may be used.

It is apparent from the above description that the lighting unit andbulb filaments are supported on the lamp casing and vehicle structuresolely by means of support springs 21 which springs are inherentlysuited to absorb vibrational stress of a wide range of frequencies. Itshould be noted that the springs 21 are mounted on the lamp with theirlongitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis of the lightingunit 9 and thus act as cantilever support members. When subjected tovibratory action springs 21 each react in the same manner and directionthus tending to minimize the amount of whip or tendency to oscillate. Itis likewise to be understood that the design of the spring will varywith the particular application in mind.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as here- Patented July 23,1957' in disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understoodthat other forms might be adopted as may come within the scope of theclaims which follow.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle lamp, a casing having an aperture, a lighting unit,alamp door, means clamping said unit in said door to constitute alighting subassembly, a plurality of spaced resilient support memberseach connected at one end to said casing and at the other end to saidsubassembly and acting to resiliently support said subassembly in spacedrelationship to said casing, and a resilient sealing gasket extendingbetween said casing and said door, said members being so positioned asto act as cantilever type support elements holding said subassembly inspaced relationship to and out'of' direct vibration transmitting contactwith said, casing.

2. In. a vehicle lamp,,a casing having an aperture, a lighting unit, alamp door, means clamping said unit in sealed relationship with saiddoor to constitute a lighting subassembly, a plurality of spacedresilient support members each connected at one end to said casing andat the other end to said door and actingto resiliently support saidsubassembly in alignment with and in spaced relationship to and out ofdirect vibration transmitting contact with said casing, the longitudinalaxis of said members being substantially parallel to the axis of saidlighting unit.

3. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing having an aperture, alightingsubassembly aligned with said aperture, said subassemblycomprising a lighting unit, a lamp door, and means clamping said unit insaid door, and a plurality of spaced springs each connected at one endto said casing and'at the other end to said subassembly and acting toresiliently support said subassembly in spaced relationship to and outof direct vibration transmitting contact with said casing, thelongitudinal axis of said springs being substantially parallel to theaxis of said lighting unit.

4. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing having an aperture, a flangeformed on the peripheral edge of said casing around said aperture, alighting subassembly aligned with said aperture, said subassemblycomprising a lighting unit, a lamp door having a flange formed on itsrear peripheral edge, and an annular plate clamping said unit in saiddoor, a plurality of equally spaced coil springs each connected at oneend to said casing and at the other end to said subassembly and actingto resiliently support said subassembly in spaced relationship to andout of direct vibration transmitting contact with said casing, and aresilient sealing gasket extending between said casing flange and saiddoor flange to weatherseal said lamp, said springs being so positionedas to act as cantilever type support elements.

5. A vehicle lamp comprising a casing having an aperture, an outwardlyturned flange formed on the peripheral edge of said casing around saidaperture, a lighting subassembly aligned with said aperture, saidsubassembly comprising a lighting unit, a lamp door having an outwardlyturned flange on its rear peripheral edge, and an annular plate clampingsaid unit in sealed relationship with said door, a plurality of equallyspaced coil springs each connected at one end to said casing and at theother end to said door and acting to resiliently support saidsubassembly in spaced relationship to and out of direct vibrationtransmitting contact with said casing; and a resilient sealing gasketextending between said casingflange and said door flange to weathersealsaid lamp, the

longitudinal axisof said springs being substantially parallel to theaxis of said lighting unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,271,980 Wright July 9, 1918 1,435,763 Townsend Nov. 14, 1922 2,131,828Williamson Oct. 4, 1938 2,138,075 Taylor et a1. Nov. 29, 1938 2,267,707Bosten Dec. 30, 1941 2,273,728 Tornblom Feb. 17, 1942 2,314,735 PortnowMar. 23, 1943 2,332,362 Bartow Oct. 19, 1943 2,620,434 Edmunds Dec. 2,1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,388 Great Britain 1913 399,312 Great BritainOct. 5, 1933 402,596 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1933 473,540 Great BritainOct. 11, 1937

